


Moonlight Love

by Polaroid_dragon



Category: Shall We Date?: THE NIFLHEIM+
Genre: M/M, have no clue where this is going, just for fun, probs gonna be very gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 23:10:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20572484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polaroid_dragon/pseuds/Polaroid_dragon
Summary: Excitement is high in the kingdom of Niflheim, as King Jean prepares to marry his fiance. No longer a ghost, Nick prepares to take part in the celebration and finds himself falling for the visiting king of Muspelheim.





	Moonlight Love

**Author's Note:**

> I played these two routes and thought that the characters would make a cute couple and this spawned. I have no clue where it's going so I'm using it as practice for pacing, character development, etc. This will diverge from the game routes (obviously) and I'll be taking some liberties with characters. Constructive criticism is appreciated.

Nick wakes up to the moon shining outside his window, as it always is in Niflheim, and promptly buries his face back into his pillow. Even after sleeping he still feels exhausted, limbs still heavy with fatigue and brain only partially reverted from mush to its normal consistency. The wedding rehearsal had been lengthy and rather dull; Nick thanks whatever stars look out for him that his brother had wisely chosen Orlando as his best man, because anyone else would have lost their mind planning the event. 

Nick sighs into his pillow as he wriggles around atop the mattress. There was still something he found uncomfortable about being corporeal even after all these months. The first few weeks of solidity had resulted in his entire body being a black and blue mess; he’d run into walls and trip constantly. He was still clumsy, but he’d stopped trying to walk through the palace walls, so there was improvement.

Then there was the fact that people could touch him now. He likes that, being able to feel the warmth and comfort of another being, it was a feeling he had forgotten for the longest time. He’d quickly realized hugging was his preferred form of contact, courtesy of the princess – soon to be the Queen. She had been the first person to hug him once the black vortex was gone, hesitantly followed by Jean.

Spending time with Jean is like walking on thin ice. They are brothers – that much is certain – but it doesn’t feel like it. Nick doesn’t blame Jean for his insecurity, the king had been nothing but accepting of him, had gone out of his way to spend time with him and help him assimilate into the everyday bustle of the castle. Nick is the problem; he’s out of place, always walking on eggshells because one wrong move could have him as isolated as when he was a ghost, only this time it wouldn’t be because no one could see or hear him. 

He’d nearly had a heart attack – Nick wasn’t even sure he could have one, honestly, being dead and all – when Orlando scolded him for the first time. He can’t remember what he said to make the adviser angry, but he can remember the cold fear chilling his spin worse than the coldest days in Niflheim ever could. The princess had immediately jumped to his rescue, reminding Orlando that “Nick isn’t used to people being able to hear him” and asking, “to give him some time.” Nick sometimes still doubts he really deserves the princess’ never-ending compassion, or anyone’s really. 

Nick feels himself slipping back into sleep again when a sudden knock jolts him into a delicate half-consciousness. Not being a ghost anymore had quickly exposed that Nick was not a morning person. Another knock, and the princess’ voice sounds, muffled, through the door, asking for him. Nick mumbles a reply before carefully pushing himself into a sitting position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He walks to the door and opens it, blinking blearily down at the princess.

Her long, silvery-blue hair is braided over one shoulder with flowers woven into it, and she has on a soft pink dress, also adorned with flowers. One look at him and she covers her lips with her hand, attempting to suppress a giggle. 

“Sorry, to wake you,” she says, her voice laced with humor, “but Jean requested that everyone meet in the throne room.”

Nick merely hums in response. He’s still processing the information with his morning brain when the princess places her hands on his bare chest and gently herds him back into his room.

“I’ll help you get ready,” she explains, voice lilting in repressed laughter and false exasperation.

He’s still wearing his pants from the rehearsal yesterday, and the princess doesn’t bother to have him change them. She grabs his scarf from where he’d tossed it onto the seat of the large bay window the night before and – quite efficiently – wraps it around his upper torso. When he attempts to pull the hood over his head, she stops him with a soft slap to his hand. From there she pulls him down by the back of the neck, so she can reach to run her fingers through his hair. By the time she’s finished he looks presentable, albeit rumpled and still half asleep.

He manages to murmur a slurred thank you, and this time the princess doesn’t bother to cover up her laughter.

“C’mon, I’ll guide you.” She takes his arm and together they make their way through the palace halls to the ornate throne room. They hold an odd sort of conversation on the way there; the princess jumps from topic to topic and Nick hums in agreement every so often without really hearing what she says.

Finally, they enter the throne room. They are the last ones there. Jean is lounging on his throne, seemingly trying to go back to sleep while Orlando stands beside him trying to rouse him into coherency. Nick figures Orlando was the one who actually called the meeting. Phillipe and J.J. stand to one side, Phillipe gesturing cheerily despite the early hour as J.J. listens attentively. Sunny stands on the other side of the throne, jotting down notes on her clipboard, and looks up when Nick and the princess enter.

“There you two are,” she says, “we thought you had gotten lost.”

“Sorry. Sorry,” the princess replies hurriedly, pulling Nick along to stand closer to the others. “Nick was still asleep.”

“Wish I was.” Jean complains from the throne, blinking an eye open to peak at his brother and fiancé. “I wish I was still in bed.” Jean smiles and sits up. “I wish I was in bed cuddling my wife – “

“Fiancé.” Orlando interrupts.

“And cuddling my lovely soon-to-be wife, and kissing her, and canoodling – “

“I don’t want to hear this.” Nick’s attention is suddenly drawn to the final, unfamiliar person in the room. His tan skin and platinum hair alluring, the black tattoos across his chest and over his left eye intimidating, and his toned muscles and golden attire nearly ethereal. His entire being culminating into a figure of absolute regality. Nick is already begging his stars that he might avoid confronting this man.

“Leo!” The princess cheers, releasing Nick’s arm in lieu of wrapping her thin arms around the newcomer’s waist, smiling all the while. 

Nick feels his stars abandon him. 

Leo is quick to throw an arm over her shoulders and give her a squeeze in return. When she looks up at him her eyes are shining.

“I’ve missed you so much! I thought you weren’t coming until later though? The wedding isn’t for another week.”

“Wanted to make sure this idiot king was treating you right before you went and married him,” Leo replies, he’s smiling down at her sweetly and his hand comes up to pat the top of her head.

“That’s enough!” Jean is up from his throne and pulling the princess away from Leo before Nick has the chance to blink, and all the sweetness dissipates. “You can’t just go holding another man’s wife like that! And who are you calling an idiot?” Jean’s pouting, and the princess is once again hiding her giggles behind her hand.

“You’re not married yet,” Leo states, and Nick spots Orlando nodding in agreement. “And you seemed to have no problem with the princess hanging off of him.” Suddenly, Nick finds himself the center of attention and he immediately wants to crawl into a hole and hide. Leo is pointing at him accusingly, eyeing him up and down, sizing him up the way a warrior does an opponent.

“Th- that’s different,” Jean stutters, still holding onto the princess like a child holds its mother when it’s feeling shy. Like Jean doesn’t want to admit Nick’s existence. Nick can’t find it in himself to take offense.

“How so?” Leo’s attention is back on Jean.

“Well, he’s Jean’s brother.” The princess answers instead, slipping out of Jean’s grip and making her way back to Nick. “I forgot you two haven’t met before.”

She grabs Nick’s hand and practically drags him over to Leo. “This is Nick, we met a little while after you left.” She gestures between the two men as she explains, smiling the whole while. “There was an incident, and we found out that Nick was Jean’s brother, so now he lives here at the castle.” Nick can’t help but be put off by how casually the princess skipped over him nearly destroying Niflheim, but he appreciates her discretion. Leo seems to catch on to her glossing over the topic and just nods at her before turning to Nick.

“Nice to meet you.” It’s cold and formal, but Leo tacks on a little smile at the end that makes the greeting more bearable than those Nick usually suffers through.

“You as well,” Nick says, and they shake hands. It’s pleasant how warm the other man’s hands are, and Nick is a tad disappointed when he pulls away. 

“Leo’s the king of Muspelheim,” the princess tosses to Nick offhandedly, and suddenly he is very much aware that he still looks like he just rolled out of bed, despite the princess’ best efforts.

“Anyway, now that the introductions are over, I have to ask how the wife search is going?” Leo looks away at the princess’ inquiry, and Nick thinks he spots a light flush cross his cheeks.

“It’s going.”

“You have to give me more than that. Do we need to employ Skeletanio’s dating service again?”

“That didn’t work the first time.”

“I doesn’t hurt to try again if things aren’t going well in Muspelheim.”

They continue for a bit, bickering back and forth like old friends – and Nick supposes that’s what they are. He takes the time to peak over at Jean, who is quickly looking like he’s about to burst. Apparently, Orlando also spots the king’s rising temper because he clears his throat, blatantly looking for attention, and the princess and Leo gradually quiet down. 

“Now that we are all aware the King of Muspelheim is here, I’d like to move onto the business of His Majesty’s wedding.” There’s an exhaustive groan throughout the room, even good-natured Phillipe looks like he’s tired of all the wedding talk, and Nick swears he hears Jean mutter something about ‘overkill’ under his breath.

Orlando looks like he’s trying extremely hard not to lose his temper. “I understand it’s been a long few weeks for everyone, but it’s only a few more days and we all want this wedding to go perfectly.” 

Orlando continues, but Nick doesn’t bother to pay attention. The rush of energy from meeting Leo is wearing off and he’s starting to fall asleep on his feet. Speaking of Leo, he can feel the heat radiating off him even from a few feet away, and it’s only making him more tired. He’s not sure how long he stays in a daze, but when someone pokes his shoulder and he opens his eyes – when did he close them - to see Orlando glowering at him from under the brim of his hat, he knows he’s in trouble. 

“Am I boring you, Nick?” Nick thinks to tell him that he’s just tired, but instead, because his body can’t seem to recall that people can see and hear him now, he answers, “Yes.” 

His mind catches up with his mouth at break-neck speeds but it’s still too late. Orlando’s face turns to surprise, to barely suppressed rage, to something reminiscent of embarrassment, before turning ice cold. 

Nick is gone before the adviser, or anyone else for that matter, can get a word out. His blood is cold, but his face is steaming, the heat quickly racing to the tips of his ears and down his neck, all the way to his chest. He vaguely hears someone shout what might be his name through the fog of his shame, as he pushes open one of the massive double doors. The brisk walk he’d managed to maintain in the throne room dissipates the moment he’s through the doorway; he takes off sprinting down the hall.  He’s not conscious of where he’s going, the only thing on his mind is getting as far away from people as possible so he can figure out how to convince the princess to let him run away from the palace permanently. 

Nick eventually find himself in the palace gardens, where he feels safe enough to slow himself down to a walk. Still, he continues deeper into the greenery until he loses sight of the gates, until he’s not even sure how to get back to them. He always forgets how massive the gardens are, it’s more of a royal forest.

Finally, Nick settles himself under a massive grey oak, with white leaves that hide the moon overhead. It’s rough bark scratches against his back as he heaves for breath. When he’s finally able to breathe without gasping he takes a better look around him, and promptly loses his breath again. The oak’s leaves are so thick that they completely block out the moonlight, creating a thick shadow directly underneath. Right where the canopy ends the light begins again, creating a near perfect circle of shadow amid the sparkling woods.

Nick is so caught up admiring the scenery that he doesn’t notice his companion until there’s a soft snuffling by his hand and something damp slides across the back of it. He jolts away, whipping around to come face-to-face with a striking red wolf. It’s a beautiful creature, with cherry red and orange fur, and eyes like embers. Nick can’t even find it in himself to be scared that a wolf is laying barely a foot away, it just waits there, eyeing him curiously, like it’s unsure why he moved away. 

Hesitantly, Nick returns to where he was, back against the tree, and reaches a hand out in front of the wolf’s nose. It sniffs him a few times, then nuzzles and licks his palm like it’s consoling him.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a beautiful creature?” He asks, not expecting an answer. Instead, the wolf nods, and Nick is once again taken aback by his new partner-in-hiding. 

As the wolf seems content to stay lying at his side, Nick stretches his legs out in front of him, making himself comfortable in the thick grass and against the tree trunk. He pulls up the hood of his scarf so it covers his eyes. He’s tired, and since returning to the palace is impossible, he may as well catch up on sleep and forget his stupidity and shame for awhile. He’s already asleep when the wolf shifts to rest its head in his lap as it also drifts off.


End file.
